by Jon Scieszka (NAPSA)—If you are a parent raising a son, you already know that boys will be boys. But did you realize he will most likely need more special attention than his sister when it comesto reading? Studies show that boys have lagged behind girls on reading tests in every age group for the last 30 years. In the 8th grade, boys are 50 percent more likely to be held back than girls. Twothirds of special education students in high school are boys, and overall college enrollment is higherfor girls than boys. WAYS TO ENCOURAGE YOUR BOY TO READ Certainly, no one book can be right for every kid. But as a society, we need to make more of an effort to connect them with many different kinds of reading—both at home and at school. You can find a good list of books for boys in your library or at www.guysread.com, www.familyeducation.com and www.californiareading.com. Also, if you can expand the notion of what readingis, you will have a better chance of inspiring your boy to want to become an avid, accomplished reader. This means broadening your definition of reading to include boy-friendly nonfiction, humor, sports, comics, graphic novels, action-adventure, magazines, Web sites and newspapers. Boys need to know that these materials count as reading. This approach opens the door and the mind. Once a boy starts reading, he will be more receptive to many other types of reading overhislifetime. WHYIS THIS HAPPENING? Oneofthe central problemsis that boys tune Theaction-oriented, competitive learning style of out whenthe subject matter doesn’t resonate manyboys works against them whenlearning fo with them. One reason boys havetrouble read and write. readingis that they don’t getto read for a Asa society, we teach boys to suppress feelings. purpose that makes lot of sense to them. Boysoften don’t feel comfortable exploring the So they turn off to all reading. Boys often have emotions and feelings foundin fiction. trouble reading for other reasons: Boys don’t have enough positive male role models Biologically, boys are slowerto develop than for literacy. Because the majority of adults girls and often struggle with reading and involved in kids’ reading are women, boys might writingskills early on. not see reading as a masculineactivity. Jon Scieszka is an award-winning children’s writer and an author for Pearson’s “California Reading Street” school reading curriculum. In addition to his Trucktown series aimed mainly at boys (butfor girls, too), he has written such best-selling children’s titles as “The Stinky Cheese Man,” which won a Caldecott Medal, and “The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs.” He was recently named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature by the Library of Congress.
